Media Guardian: Government’s choice for Ofcom chair says he does not use social media

Story from Media Guardian: 

The Conservative peer chosen to oversee regulation of the internet has said he does not use social media but is aware of how it works thanks to his children.

Media Boy UK Views: Has Virgin signed a new deal with Paramount Global as MTV 80s and MTV 90s plays 'musical chairs'???

Paramount Global UK has rebranded the following MTV Channels today.

Sky UK axe SYFY +1

 Sky UK has today axe SYFY +1 on Virgin UK Channel 229.

Discovery Inc-WarnerMedia merger - Deadline: Discovery Board Dinged By Shareholder Advisory Firm For “Poor Stewardship” On CEO Pay

Story from Deadline: 

ISS, an influential shareholder advisory firm, has recommended “withhold” votes for the three Discovery directors up for reelection at the April annual meeting “due to poor stewardship” in compensation.

Advanced Television: TalkTV launches April 25th

Story from Advanced Television: 

TalkTV, the news channel from Rupert Murdoch’s News UK, will launch on linear TV platforms Sky, Virgin Media, Freeview and Freesat on April 25th.

What will Warner Bros. Discovery own by mid April?

Warner Bros. Discovery will own a following when Warner Media and Discovery Inc closes it merger deal in Mid April:

Discovery Inc-WarnerMedia merger - Deadline: AT&T Sets More Details For WarnerMedia Spinoff Ahead Of Discovery Merger

Story from Deadline:

AT&T has firmed up more details of its spinoff of WarnerMedia, which is poised to combine with Discovery in a $43 billion merger.

BBC News: Lord Michael Grade chosen as Ofcom chairman

Story from BBC News: 

Lord Grade, the TV executive, businessman and former BBC chairman has been chosen as the new chairman of UK media regulator Ofcom.

Digital TV Europe: Invesco drops plans to oust Zee Entertainment board

Story from Digital TV Europe: 

US-based investment firm Invesco has scrapped plans to shake up the management structure of India’s Zee Entertainment.

Discovery Inc-WarnerMedia merger - Variety: Why HBO Max and Discovery Plus Face Content and Tech Hurdles as an Integrated Streamer

Story from Variety: 

They’ll come for the high-wattage HBO and Warner Bros. content. They’ll stick around for Discovery’s lifestyle comfort food.

Channel 4 Takeover - Broadcast: Dawn Airey and Nadine Dorries meet to discuss C4 future

Story from Broadcast: 

Interim chair and chief exec Alex Mahon sat down with culture secretary for first time.

EXCLUSIVE: NBC News NOW HD launches on Virgin Media UK

 NBC News NOW HD has just launch on Virgin UK Channel 614.

Digital Spy Forum: Sky set to close FIVE SD Channels March 30th

Digital Spy Forum is reporting tonight that FIVE Sky owned SD Channels will close on March 30th on Sky:

EXCLUSIVE: Sky UK to close SYFY +1 on March 30th

Sky UK are set to close SYFY +1 at 10am on March 30th on Virgin UK Channel 229.

SYFY +1 listings say "channel no longer available" from that time. 

Source: TiVo.

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EXCLUSIVE: UKTV have 'plans already in action to get Alibi and GOLD on Freeview'. But UKTV may merge EDEN into Yesterday

Media Boy UK sources has told Media Boy UK HQ today that:

Advanced Television: UKTV's W to launch on Freeview and Freesat from March 28th

Story from Advanced Television: 

Multichannel commercial broadcaster UKTV is taking its premium entertainment channel ‘W’ free-to-air and making it available on its direct-to-consumer VoD service UKTV Play.

Advanced Television: Virgin Media O2 top bundles now include Netflix

Story from Advanced Television: 

Virgin Media O2 has refreshed its top packages, the Ultimate Volt bundle and the Biggest TV bundle, to include a Netflix Standard Plan.

Media Guardian: Russia threatens further crackdown on British media after Ofcom bans RT

Story from Media Guardian: (Story first reported on March 18th but only seen on March 20th by Media Boy UK HQ) 

Russia has promised further crackdowns on British media outlets operating in the country, after UK media regulator Ofcom banned the Kremlin-backed television channel RT.

TVB Europe: Ofcom revokes RT’s UK licence

Story from TVB Europe: 

Ofcom has revoked RT’s UK broadcasting licence with immediate effect, after deeming RT’s licensee, ANO TV Novosti, not “fit and proper” to hold a UK broadcast licence.

Advanced Television: BritBox UK launches on Virgin TV

Story from Advanced Television: 

BritBox UK and Virgin Media O2 have announced that Virgin TV customers (Not on TiVo boxes) can now access the BritBox app directly through their latest set top boxes.

Digital Spy Forum: Is Channel 4 set to launch more Channel 4 HD Channels soon?

Digital Spy Forum is reporting that Channel 4 are set to go HD (UK Wide) soon as rumour 'test' starting on Sky in the past 48 hours.

NBC News Now HD 'tests' appear on Virgin Media UK

Cable Forum and Digital Spy Forum poster "epsilon" has today reveal that NBC News Now HD has started to 'test' on Virgin Media UK ahead of launch.

Discovery Inc-WarnerMedia merger - Deadline: Discovery And AT&T Determine Board Of Directors For Merging Media Company

Story from Deadline: 

Discovery and AT&T have determined the 13 members of the board of directors for Warner Bros Discovery, the new company that will be created via a pending $43 billion merger.

Discovery Inc-WarnerMedia merger - Variety: Warner Bros. Discovery Will Combine HBO Max and Discovery Plus in International Markets

Story from Variety: 

Warner Bros. Discovery’s plans to merge streaming services HBO Max and Discovery Plus in the U.S. is likely to be adopted overseas, and a clearer picture is emerging of what the platform will look like in key markets.

MTV: our music portfolio is changing

Story from MTV UK: 

We are making some changes to our music portfolio to make sure that the biggest contemporary acts and classic hits reach the biggest possible audiences.

Discovery Inc-WarnerMedia merger - Variety: David Zaslav Received $203 Million in Stock Options for Massive 2021 Compensation Pact

Story from Variety: 

Discovery CEO David Zaslav received a massive $203 million stock option grant last year that inflated his total 2021 compensation package to a staggering $246.6 million.

Discovery Inc-WarnerMedia merger - Deadline: Streaming Combo Of HBO Max And Discovery+ Will “Take A While,” CFO Affirms

Story from Deadline: 

Eventually, HBO Max and Discovery+ will come together as a single streaming offering, but the integration will “take a while,” CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels said at an investor conference Monday.

Discovery Inc-WarnerMedia merger - Deadline: Discovery Shareholders Approve WarnerMedia Merger

Story from Deadline: 

Ta-da! Discovery just announced that its stockholders have approved its merger with AT&T’s WarnerMedia to create Warner Bros. Discovery, “a premier, global entertainment company” — marking the completion of one of the few remaining closing conditions for the merger.

Discovery Inc-WarnerMedia merger - Variety: CNN Plus Sets Launch for March 29

Story from Variety: 

People who are interested in CNN Plus finally have a date when they can add it to their streaming repertoire. The WarnerMedia-owned cable-news outlet intends to launch the subscription broadband service on March 29.

Discovery Inc-WarnerMedia merger - Variety: AT&T’s Short, Bumpy Ride in Hollywood: Timeline of WarnerMedia’s Road to Discovery Spinoff Deal

Story from Variety: 

WarnerMedia has been owned by telco giant AT&T for less than four years and it will soon have a new parent company — likely by the end of next month.

Discovery Inc-WarnerMedia merger - Deadline: As WarnerMedia-Discovery Deal Nears Close, David Zaslav Shapes Up Executive Team With Eye On $3B Cost Savings Target

Story from Deadline: 

Discovery shareholders are set to OK the $43 billion merger with WarnerMedia on Friday, the last big step before AT&T completes the spinoff. Ahead of the deal’s expected close next month, a who’s-in/who’s-out parlor game is gaining intensity as CEO David Zaslav finalizes the leadership team.

Digital Spy Forum: Paramount Global UK reveal MTV 80s and MTV 90s launch date

Digital Spy Forum poster 'omnidirectional' has posted a following on Digital Spy Forum:

• MTV Base will become MTV 90s on Virgin UK Channel 313.
• MTV Classic will become MTV 80s on Virgin UK Channel 316.

Both launches on March 31st.

Discovery Inc-WarnerMedia merger - Deadline: Discovery Raising $30 Billion In Mega Debt Sale To Fund Pending WarnerMedia Merger

Story from Deadline: 

Discovery on Wednesday priced $30 billion in senior unsecured notes in a debt offering to raise cash for its merger with WarnerMedia.

Variety: NBC News Now set to Launch in the U.K. on Virgin Media

Story from Variety: 

Comcast’s NBC News Now is live on Sky U.K. this week and will launch on Virgin Media later this month, making the U.K. the first European territory to have the service on linear programming. The service will be ad-supported.

Rumour: Paramount Networks UK & Australia to rebrand two MTV Channels next month

Digital Spy Forum is tonight reporting at both MTV Base and MTV Classic will close at the end of this month to make way for MTV 80 and MTV 90 to launch on Virgin Media UK from April 1st.

Discovery Inc-WarnerMedia merger - FT: CNN makes a $350mn bet on streaming ahead of Discovery takeover

Information from FT:

WarnerMedia has raced to launch the CNN Plus streaming service before its planned takeover by Discovery, placing a wager of about $350mn on the news channel’s digital future that was not originally disclosed to its incoming owner.

Digital TV Europe: RT goes off the air in the UK

Story from Digital TV Europe: 

Russian state-backed news broadcaster RT has been removed from its transmission slot in the UK.

UK and Europe axe RT - What happen today with RT UK Channels?

Here what happen today - as they happen with RT and RT HD Channels:

Media Guardian: Russian-backed RT channel to lose Sky TV slot in UK within 24 hours

Story from Media Guardian: 

The Russian state-backed television channel RT is set to disappear from Sky TV in the UK within the next 24 hours, irrespective of the outcome of an investigation by the media regulator Ofcom into its coverage of the war in Ukraine.

TVB Europe: European Union bans RT

Story from TVB Europe: 

In an unprecedented step, the European Union has announced it is banning both RT and Sputnik from broadcasting in the bloc.